Iran Pairs Each Foreign Delegation With Symbolic Quranic Verse At Khamenei's Funeral | Watch

Last Updated:July 04, 2026, 18:05 IST

Iranian organisers arranged separate Quranic recitals for foreign delegations that appeared to describe their relationship with the Islamic Republic.

In a unique demonstration, Iranian authorities paired each foreign delegation at slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral with a separate Quranic verse that seemed to be carefully curated to signal how the Islamic Republic felt about them.

The delegations of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt and China arrived in Tehran to pay their final respects to Khamenei, who was killed in the opening phase of the US-Iran conflict. Iran’s internationally acclaimed Qaris recited verses from the Holy Quran on the occasion.

Controversial Recital For Saudi Arabia

The verses appeared to be politically targeted towards the visiting delegations to reflect the views of the regime during the course of the US-Iran conflict. In the case of the Saudi delegation, Iranian organisers arranged the recitation of a controversial Quranic verse referring to two opposing armies at battle, according to Iran International.

The verse describes one side as fighting in the cause of Allah and the other as disbelievers. It also says Allah supports with victory whom He wills. The choice of verse appeared to place Iran on the side backed by God and its adversaries in the opposing camp triggered a controversy.

For the Turkish delegation, Iran recited a verse that described Allah elevating the ranks of those who strive with their wealth and their lives above those who choose to remain behind.

Recitals For Other Delegations

The recitals broadly described Iran’s relationships with other countries. The Russian delegation was welcomed with a verse that said, “That eternal Home in the Hereafter. We reserve only for those who seek neither tyranny nor corruption on the Earth. The ultimate outcome belongs only to the righteous."

Qatar: “So that God may forgive you for your past and future shortcomings, perfect His favor upon you, and guide you along the Straight Path, and so that God will help you with a mighty victory."

Egypt: “Their reward with their Lord will be Gardens of Eternity, under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. This is only for those in awe of their Lord."

China: “God ordained this only as good news for you and reassurance for your hearts. And victory comes only from God."

Hezbollah: “Do not falter or grieve, for you will have the upper hand, if you are true believers. If you have suffered injuries, they suffered similarly. We alternate these days of victory and defeat among people so that God may reveal the true believers, choose martyrs from among you, and God does not like the wrongdoers."

Hamas: “Among the believers are men who have proven true to what they pledged to God. Some of them have fulfilled their pledge, others are waiting their turn. They have never changed their commitment in the least."

About the Author

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

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